Letter-box



(No Model.)'

I H-. v. SNEAD. LETTER BOX.

No. 428,968. Patented May 27, 1,890.

Irr/Erfizpr Ahw a- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC HARRY V. SNEAD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTIIS TO ROBERT E. LEIVIS AND HARRIET V. SNEAD, OF SAME PLACE, AND \VILLIAM B. FONDA, OF MORRISTOIVN, NEIV JERSEY.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,968, dated May 27, 1890.

Application filed February 5 1890- Serial No. 339,287- (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY V. SNEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in certain improvements in mail-boxes, which will first be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

I11 said drawings, Fig. I is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of a mail-box embodying my improvements. Fig. II is a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. I.

1 is a mail-box having opening at 2 in its curved top 3 for the reception of mail-matter. The opening is made of considerable size, so as to admit matter of all kinds.

4 is a cover hinged at 5 to the top of the box and having stops 6 to limit the extent to which the cover can be opened. The top of the box extends sufficiently under the cover to shed water thoroughly and prevent it passing down into box between the cover and the top of the latter.

7 is a pocket-shaped tray or shutter hinged at 8 to the top of the box and at 9 tothe cover thereof. hen the cover is closed, this tray is forced back to the position shown in full lines; but when the cover is lifted the tray is brought forward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. I, in which position it will receive any mail-matter which is to be deposited in the box and will completely prevent access to the lower part of the box. IVhen the cover is allowed to drop, the tray returns to its forward position (shown in full lines) and discharges the matter placed upon it into the bottom of the box. As a further means of securing the bottom part of the box from access when mail-matter is being placed in the tray, I prefer to employ a shutter or valve 10, hinged at 11 to the side of the box and connected by rod 12 with the cover thereof. The raising of the cover, while bringing the tray forward, will at the same time lift this shutter or valve to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. I, thus completely shutting off the tray from the lower partof the box.

To allow for a slight diifereuce in movement between the hinged points of the tray on the top of the box and the cover, connection is made through a slot at the latter point 9, so that the cover will slide slightly on the tray as it moves from its uppermost to lowermost position.

To prevent mail-matter from passing up and being caught behind either of the shutters, I provide fixed slides or guards 13 14.- 011 the sides of the box. Other fixed slides or guards 15 of inverted-V shape, placed transversely in the box, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. I, direct and distribute the mail to the lower part of the box, so preventing it from piling up in the center and also preventing access to or removal of the same through the top.

The front of the box has an opening through which the mail may be removed by the postman. This opening is covered by hingeddoor 13, which may, when opened,be stopped in horizontal position by stops 17, and which has quadrantal checks or sides 18 to prevent the mail-matter from falling off the ends of the door when it is laid down by the postman for taking away the mail in the box.

19 is a dial on the side or end of the box having numbers marked thereon in manner similar to a clock-dial and bearing hands which may be turned by the collector at each trip to indicate when the next collection will be made. One or two hands may be employed, according to the nicety of indication required.

The box is preferably clamped to a lamppost or other support by customary clevises 20 and nuts 21.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of the box 1, having mail-opening 2, the cover 4, hinged to the top of the box in rear of said opening and adapted to be raised for admitting mail to the box, and pocket-shaped shutter 7, connected to said cover, having its front open and bottom and rear closed and adapted to be drawn forward to close the mail-opening and receive mail when the cover is raised, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the box having the mail-opening, the cover for said opening hinged to said box, and the pocket-shaped shutter hinged to the top of the box independently of said cover and connected to said cover, whereby when the cover is lifted the shutter is brought forward to receive mail, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the box having a mail-opening, the cover hinged to the top thereof and adapted to cover said opening, the pocket-shaped shutter hinged to the top of said box immediately in rear of said opening, having closed bottom and back and open front, and sliding connection between said shutter and cover, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of abox having a mailopcning, a cover hinged to the top of said box immediately in rear of said opening, a pocket-shaped shutter having an open front connected to said cover, and a valve hinged to the front of the box and connected to said cover, whereby as the shutter is drawn forward to receive mail the valve is raised to a position adjacent to the bottom of said shutter.

5. The combination of box 1, having opening 2 and hinged cover 4:, the open-front pocket-shaped shutter 7, connected to said cover and adapted, when the cover is down, to occupy a position front downward at the rear of the box, and guard 14, fixed at the rear of the box below said shutter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of the box 1, having opening 2 and hinged cover 4, the pocketshaped shutter 7, connected to said cover, the valve 10, connected with shutter 7 to the cover and co-operating therewith, as set forth, and guard 13, fixed at the front of said box below said valve, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with a mail-box having an opening in its upper part for the admission of mail, a V-shaped guide or guard arranged transversely in the box below said opening and adapted to direct the mail-matter and distribute it in the lower part of the box as well as to prevent access thereto from the top, substantially as set forth.

HARRY V. SNEAD. Witnesses:

D. C. (105;, F. S. PAINTER. 

